


Missed me missed me

by PoisonJack



Series: Purge that urge [5]
Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Cuddles, Established Relationship, Fluff, General au, Gun fights, M/M, Omega!Jack, Rhys is like Jack's lanky comfort blanket, Violence, a/b/o dynamics, all the worry and feels, alpha!rhys, comfort and reassurance, god you're both gross get a room, handjobs, i mean it's not graphic but Jack slits a few throats and ventilates a few assholes, oh the fluffity fluff you give all the fluff Rhys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-06 03:45:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5401748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonJack/pseuds/PoisonJack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack takes a visit down to Pandora to check out some vault rumors, ends up getting ambushed by a group of alphas. The experience really shakes him up, and Rhys is all about comforting the other man.</p><p>Request fill for anon :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Request fill for anon on tumblr ;3 I really hope it's sufficient sugar! First I thought i couldn't do it, then I was like heeeeeey. THEN I was like HEEEEEY. And now it's part of this series LOLOL. Turned into a two-parter. I'll get to the actual bits you requested next :) thanks!
> 
>  
> 
> _Would you consider a A/B/O fic where unbound Omega!Jack has a run-in with a pack of (Alpha) vault hunters? Like, it really shakes Jack up, and Alpha!Rhys does whatever he can to comfort him, even though obviously Jack won't admit he needs it._

Rhys hadn't heard from Jack in four days. 

Jack had a plan to personally head down to Pandora to check out a rumor they had on a vault location. Tech, weapons, alien beer; whatever it might be, he wanted to personally check it out. It was _supposed_ to be only about a day counting the shuttle and back if there wasn't anything interesting; longer if they found anything.

Rhys didn't particularly like it. "Why don't you send down your men? If it's just checking....I mean... You have an army. Use it."

Jack had scoffed at him. The intelligence he'd gathered had indicated the location was deserted. Old ruins, no water, lots of dirt, nothing. There was no point sending army grunts if there were no bandits to clear out. The savages didn't have the kind of technology Hyperion did to see if there was anything within those ruins- or under it. He wouldn't even bother going if the lure of a vault didn't interest him.

He'd taken a shuttle down with a few bodyguards to the location, and it was deserted just as his intelligence indicated. 

It was also pointless. There was nothing of interest in the ruins of the building. Bullet scars, empty halls, rooms filled with dirty scrap, roof half caved-in letting the hot sunlight in. Scans of the foundation also yielded nothing more impressive than basic pipes and cement. Not even a basement. A big waste of his time. 

Someone had drawn a stick figure with an impossibly large dong on one of the walls and written "Mighty Krong pissed here!" so that was amusing at least. But Jack was bored as hell.

Him and the four men he'd brought with had circled the compound, scanning, taking potshots at old shit lying around; basically trying to make the trip down having been worth something. Jack leaned against an outer wall, bored and pissed off. He'd been excited at the prospect of new shit. Things had been a lot more dull lately than he'd liked, and it seemed like it would stay that way. Not even skags to contend with. 

_Hey sugar, be back early. Nothing here but dirt and piss._

Jack sent the message off to Rhys, getting a quick reply in response. 

_That was fast. When you coming back?_

He grinned to himself. So the alpha was sitting by his comm huh? Cute.

_Missing me already, Rhysie?_

Jack was grinning at his comm, listening to his men taking potshots at shit out their own, also bored. Yeah, he was going to get back to Helios as soon as possible.

_Hardly._

He smirked down at his comm. 

_Hard already baby? Get ready, because I'll be back up there real soon and I'm_

Jack paused, thumb accidentally hitting send as the sounds he was hearing wasn't just potshots anymore, but rapid shooting and return fire; voices.

He unholstered his weapon and made his way towards the sounds. His men were being fired upon under relatively low cover by bandits. Bandits with big fucking guns.

"Get inside, assholes!" Jack hollered out. One of his men was already dead, bleeding into the dirt. The Pandoran earth drank up the stain. 

Vault hunters. Goddamn bandits. He knew he couldn't be the only one to have gotten hold of the rumors but why these assholes had to show up _now._...

There were at least ten. Two cars filled as they were being fired upon. One of Jack's men stood with a grenade, threw it towards a car as his body was ventilated by the rabble. He fell to the ground, but his grenade soared through the air and fell with a few clinks into the car.

Most of the men jumped out while another tried to locate the grenade before it blew. But he and the car went up in a fireball as Jack called his men back into the recesses of the ruins. Only two came to his call, the others dead.

"Stay back, pick them off, and for fuck's sake don't get ventilated," the omega harshly whispered as they moved silently within the ruins, trying to find vantage points as echoes from outside came to them in the cold shadows.

The three of them set up in a corridor, trying for a choke point against the greater numbers. It would be stupid of them to try to enter there, but then again, it _was_ bandits. 'Stupid' was their middle name.

"I counted twelve, sir," one of his men huffed, catching his breath. "Should be about eight left."

"Shit. Alright then, you two stay here, kill any stupid enough to come through here. Keep this point. I'm heading up to the roof."

Jack left without waiting for an acknowledgement. He'd been up against worse odds before. And he had men who knew what they were doing with him. Shouldn't be a problem against common bandit assholes.

He could hear their voices on the wind as he drew up close to the half-fallen-in roof. It also brought with it their scents; unwashed alpha stink. It made the omega's gut clench in disgust. Great, not just bandits, but a bunch of knotheads with something to prove. _Fun._

He watched from his vantage point as they were fanned out, two picking over the bodies of his slain guards for weapons and tech, others dragging their fallen brethren away from the burning hunks of scrap before heading to scout around.

"They're just grunts....any of these assholes look like leader material to you?" 

"Hyperion all look the same to me. Especially covered in holes. Besides, he wouldn't wear a helmet."

They laughed, and Jack frowned. Someone was asking for a few new breathing holes that was for sure.

"You sure about this though? I mean, they're just dogs," the one said, toeing at the body of a man Jack couldn't remember the name of.

"I saw him before the car exploded."

"I didn't."

"That's 'cause you're blind in your left eye, idiot."

"Oh fuck you." They both laughed a minute as Jack was lining up a shot, the other men having disappeared from sight and hopefully sound. He could hear gunfire within the building, but ignored it. Then there was an explosion that rocked him a bit where he stood crouched. The two looked towards the building but also ignored it.

"Party's starting."

"Handsome Jack is too much of an obsessed asshole _not_ to come down here on his own. That was him alright."

Well, they weren't wrong. Now he was curious though. Had they come for him specifically? The lack of anything half-interesting in this dump seemed to point to yes. He'd need to pay his little informants a visit for the false information he'd been fed. 

He could hear the gunfire again in bursts, ignored it as they were guessing as to whether he was actually an omega or not. He supposed having a body double actually paid off since conflicting reports had them all thinking otherwise. His double was an alpha. That couldn't be helped, but conflicting information was fun. Keep your enemy guessing.

"Yeah, he's an omega. I know someone who smelled him once."

"Well I've heard the exact same thing- only alpha."

"No, omega. Which is why I took this job in the first place. That asshole is a plague already, but could you imagine if he _was_ an alpha? I'd bring a lot more men with me. Or get the hell off this rock altogether, retire to one of the Edens."

Jack was a bit insulted at that but also preened. This many men for just lil ol' him? Stupid knotheads didn't know who they were up against if they thought his endotype factored into anything at all. Omega or not, they _should_ be wetting their pants. If they were smart. Which they weren't. Because they were bandits.

"Pfft are you shitting me? No way is Handsome Jack an omega. When was the last time you saw an omega unit? Omegas can't run _shit_."

That did it. Jack took aim and blew the man's head off. It gave away his position and immediately he was fired upon. He crept back carefully into the building again, quiet inside, leaving the gunshots and yelling behind him.

He found the hallway they'd set up as a choke point, and one of his guard's bodies as well. Well shit. At least they'd managed to take more than a few Pandoran douchebags with him. He searched the body for spare ammo, pocketing the rounds and a combat knife. He'd need them.

He was suddenly grabbed from behind and nearly broke the nose of his last man standing- his helmet was off and he had blood running down his face. 

"It's me, sir! Me!"

"Who the hell is _me_?" Jack growled, lowering his weapon. "The fuck happened?"

"They found a way in through the back. Ambushed Torres, got me in the arm. I shut the back, sir."

So that's what that explosion was. He didn't have time to comment on it as he heard footsteps, and immediately opened fire into the hallway. They ducked into a side room and tried to figure out a plan of action. He didn't know how many were left but they were definitely still outnumbered.

There was silence as the dust cleared, and then a small noise- like a baseball or a can of soup. He realized almost too late what it was.

"Ah _shit_ ," he said as he took cover from the grenade that had been thrown. Not two seconds had he gotten out of the way than it exploded in the small space, and Jack heard ringing in his ears, disoriented and thrown to the ground in the blast.

He was blinking, laying on the hard cement. He coughed heavily, stunned, tried to find the fate of his last man as he tried to regain his breath. He was next to him, but he couldn't see him exactly, couldn't see his face. Blood underneath. A _lot_ of blood. And his ears were just ringing and ringing.

"Peters!" he hissed, not even hearing his own voice over the din. "Er, Perkins! Perry? Hey, you alive?" He tried to stand but was dizzy, ears still ringing. He stayed low on hands and knees. He didn't even hear the footsteps as they approached, took him a minute to register there were feet headed towards him.

"Hey boys! We snagged the big fish!" the man hollered out. "Handsome Jack himself!"

Jack was trying to stand when the bandit landed a mean right hook to his jaw. He fell back down from the blow. He went to shoot the man, to have his gun kicked out of his hand. 

A kick came to his sternum which had him bowled over in pain on the dirty cement floor. He could taste blood, smell dirt and alpha stench, still hear ringing. He wondered if anything was broken because _shit_ , he hurt.

" _You assholes owe me a beer!"_ The man hollered, and grinned down at Jack, not at all intimidated by the ruler of Helios. "He _is_ an omega!" He was laughing like it was the greatest joke ever, like the fact made Jack a non-threat.

The way it was said- the easy dismissal- made Jack furious. He quickly took a knee, flung dirt and rubble in the man's face, landed a fist under the chin and drove his pilfered knife in deep to the side. As the man cried out, Jack removed the knife to knock him over, and he slit his throat so he couldn't alert the others further. 

Jack was still disoriented; one bandit asshole should not be a challenge to him; shouldn't have taken this long. More would definitely be a problem in this state.

Before he could take the bandit's gun there were shots landed at his feet, and he had to run for cover. 

\--

It was three, maybe four hours later. He wasn't sure. He was out of ammo, hiding on his belly in a ventilation shaft-- which he kind of thought was funny because he was trying to avoid being ventilated himself-- and it had become mighty apparent that these bandits weren't the usual shitstains. Ex-military he guessed at the very least. Mercenary bandit shit heads. All alphas. Both facts were unusual. 

They were too organized, not all strung out on whatever choice chemical of the day, and there was a very clear hierarchy, even among the all-alpha group. It wasn't like the normal scum he was used to mowing down. Yes, he'd been bored when he'd gotten here, but this was just overkill.

They were checking things for him, checking around. He heard the phrase 'Dead or Alive' several times. Heard them wondering what he looked like under the mask. Talk of removing it if they got him. There were still five or six haunting around.

There was no vault, no tech, no weapons. It was a lure and it had worked well. He wasn't used to this kind of fighting exactly. Usually just shoot-em-up bandit free-for-all, be home in time for dinner. _These_ ones were methodical. 

Someone was getting impatient with his rule over Pandora, and he wished he could say he was surprised that they had lured him down to the planet instead of trying to hit him at home in Helios. He had some work ahead of him to crush the source of this little coup after he got out of this. And he _was_ going to get out of this.

He hated that he was outnumbered and outgunned. He was hungry too, should've had breakfast, and this shithole didn't have anything to be seen. There were goodies back on the shuttle, but they might as well be back on Helios for as much good as it did him now. 

He hated the most that he wanted Rhys, wanted his alpha's familiar scent in his nostrils; musky, welcoming, and always a little too clean. He couldn't smell anything but gunpowder and blood and the bandits in his nose and it was highly disturbing. Couldn't even message the little peon, or call for backup. Somewhere probably between the grenade and the gunfights, his comm had been broken. So that made things interesting.

Jack didn't want to say he was scared, but he was definitely shaken. He wasn't normally this sensitive to alphas. Didn't give a shit about it since he was breathing in Rhys' alpha stink factory ten times a day if he could personally help it. But he was worried. And the fact that he recognized that made him livid. He didn't like being helpless. 

Jack climbed out of the air shaft after another hour had passed and no sound had reached his ears. It was too much to hope they'd left- they definitely knew he was here somewhere-- but at the very least they might have dropped their guard a bit. He didn't have the cover of night at his behest- Pandoran days were too damn long, and these assholes would be wary.

He was shaking, as he quietly stood where he'd climbed down, listening for any signs of life. Realized his hands were shaking, and he looked at them completely dumbfounded. Adrenaline? No, he wasn't fighting at the moment anyways. He wasn't _afraid_. That couldn't be it. Why the hell was he shaking? Fuck. What was it? Something was wrong.

He exhaled angrily, inhaled through his nose, which turned out to be a mistake. He could smell them all, the scent of unwashed alphas thick in the air, and his gut dipped at the conscious inhalation.

Fuck. This had happened before. He knew what was happening. His _body_ was afraid. On some instinctual level he thought he'd long killed, his body was scared of the pervasive alpha scent everywhere in his nostrils, and it didn't give a shit what his brain thought on the matter. His stupid damn omega biology had him overworked and over-alert to the threats around him. It was distracting, unsettling, and completely unnerving. He didn't like it, dammit.

Now it pissed him off even _more_ that he wanted Rhys. The fact that that skinny little alpha from programming would make him feel more stolid....

That's it, he needed to kill something and kill it _now._

Luckily for him, it didn't take long at all to find someone, alone, taking a piss. 

Bad form or not, Jack came up right behind him and quickly slit his throat. The man grasped at his neck, trying to throw off Jack uselessly, and the omega lowered him quietly to the floor. He picked through his pockets, found two grenades and a bit more ammo. _Nice._

Okay one down, a few more to go. If he could make it outside then maybe he could set a trap. Or just blow the alpha shitheads to kingdom come. Whatever got the job done. 

Two more he dispatched with the stolen grenades, resulting in a huge explosion that shook free cement from the ruin walls and shook more of the roof free. Well, he could kiss any loot from _those_ corpses goodbye.

The last he found outside, in front of "Mighty Krong" and his jumbo dong, the man calling out to "Barry!" and "Keith!" Stupid names. The man missed as Jack almost took a bullet right to the head; had he not lost his footing on the slab of concrete he was standing on, his handsome brain matter would be everywhere. He managed to correct it in time to return fire. He only clipped the man, and gave chase around a corner, stopping just at the edge. It might not be heroic, but he shot the man full of lead right in the back. The bandit fell to the dirt, wheezing, and then not moving. 

Jack took a breath, hoping that was all of them. He could see his shuttle, sun glistening off the Hyperion colors, but he didn't make for it. The path from here to there would leave him a sitting duck. So with annoyance, he made his way back inside the ruins to inspect things, check the bodies one last time, listen for anymore scumbags. It took him another hour and a half to check it all out, but convinced he was alone, he sprinted to the shuttle.

It hadn't occurred to him that one of the vault hunters might have gone to check out his ride. Nor did he think that the man would be waiting inside for him with a full clip and a whole lot of patience.

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said I probably wasn't going to update things this weekend but I got some really shitty health news yesterday evening and I've been trying to distract myself soooo enjoy! 
> 
> And yeah I take requests on my tumblr, don't be shy if you've never sent a request to someone before, go for it pretties :) that's how we have nice things XD no harm in asking :)
> 
> http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep I need the distraction of writing so here's the second big already LOLOL
> 
> I have made a master post I will regularly update on my tumblr of stories and series etc. that link you to each fic's tumblr post. I know I personally used to like to keep fic links on tumblr before I had an account here anyways. Link is at the top of the blog bio :)

Jack arrived back at Helios four days later covered in blood, dirt, bruises, and alpha stink. A bandit gun was slung over his back and a weary, grim line to his mouth.

He was exhausted, angry, hungry, and sketchy as hell. He'd punched one of his guards who'd greeted him maybe a bit too enthusiastically right in the face after his shuttle had docked-- patched bullet holes, dried blood all over the interior, a completely rewired navigation system-- son of a bitch had almost completely destroyed that. But then he'd completely destroyed that asshole's head and the shuttle got a new paint job.

Dammit he hated bandits. 

He was wary as he stalked through Helios covered in old blood and dirt, and people gave him a wide berth as he encountered them. If his appearance alone wasn't frightening, then his scent definitely was. Blood and alphas and the harshness of Pandora.

He went straight home, needing familiarity and safety after that whole damn ordeal. And sleep. He'd been up over forty-eight straight hours now, trying to repair the damage as quickly as possible before more alpha shit heads showed up. He'd blamed his general shakiness on lack of sleep and alertness, not at all on the alpha stink that would stay a permanent fixture in his nose even after dragging the body out of the shuttle. 

He'd tried to fix one of the comms initially, or Frankenstein something together to call for a pickup. But the delicate pieces he'd needed where all cracked, totally destroyed, or just nonexistent for Pandoran tech. The shuttle's own communication systems had been disabled and destroyed by the asshole that had been waiting for him. 

That didn't matter now though. None of it did. He was back on Helios where order, hygiene, and hot showers were a thing.

He immediately let his guard down once inside the familiar walls of his penthouse, and went straight to the large kitchen to dig into a bag of pretzels and drain half a carton of milk in one draught. A surprised gasp behind him made him nearly choke as he was swinging the gun at his back around in the direction of the noise, but his eyes simply landed on Rhys, and he lowered the weapon with a wry smile. 

Rhys, in one of his old sweaters over sweatpants. Rhys, with shocked expression and bags under his eyes and hair all out of disarray. Jack could feel his face twitching into a smirk.

"Making yourself at home while I'm gone, huh?" the omega said to the younger man, and Rhys was already across the way to embrace the CEO, blood and dirt and all.

"I have been trying and _trying_ to contact you on my comm....I thought you were dead." His hands were gingerly encircling Jack's waist and his hands were fisting and unfisting in his dusty clothes.

Jack laughed shakily into Rhys' chest, inhaling his familiar scent and slightly unable to suppress the pleased shiver that went through him. "Heroes don't die, kiddo."

Rhys pulled away to look at him, taking it all in once more. His hands moved to Jack's hips, eyes roving the older man. "You stink."

Jack snorted. Couldn't argue with that. "Pandora _will_ do that."

Rhys shook his head. "No I mean, you stink like other alphas. You reek actually."

Jack's smile died and he looked as tired as he felt. "We were ambushed by bandits. Killed my men. Shot up my ride- took me three days to rewire everything. They were all alpha shitheads. Haven't had that happen before."

Rhys was looking him over and touching him as he spoke, stroking his blood-caked face with thumbs and touching his dusty, stiff clothing gently. Checking, Jack realized. He had fingertips in the older man's hair and his eyes were quick over the omega's features.

"Are you okay?" 

The way he asked it tugged painfully at Jack in ways he didn't want to acknowledge, and he laughed the question off. "I'm Handsome Jack, sweetheart. A couple alpha knotheads can't get the best of me."

Rhys nodded slightly but it was obvious he wasn't buying it, thumb brushing over one of the catches on the side of Jack's face. "Can I?"

Jack just lifted a brow in response, waiting, and Rhys carefully undid the latches on Jack's mask. It was a bit difficult, caked with blood and sweat and dirt, but he managed. He set the dirty item on the kitchen counter and looked over the CEO's face, checking. He tenderly ran fingers over a bruise on Jack's face, and over the one on his chin, frowning. He brought the omega in close against him, nose aside nose on the undamaged side, inhaling, rubbing his warm skin against the skin of the omega. And Jack reveled in it _all._

" _There_ you are," Rhys murmured into his cheek, kissing the side of his mouth and closing his eyes as he inhaled. He opened them on exhale to find Jack silently watching him, and he gave the older man a kiss, gently touching the angry bruise again before giving him a tug. "I want this stink off you. Come on. Shower."

Jack allowed himself to be led as he half-heartedly complained about Rhys being a bossy bitch, but he didn't complain as the younger man carefully undressed him. He was sore, body filled with bruises and scrapes, muscles aching. Not too banged-up all considered. Being on Helios in an office all day did not help his ass-kicking physique though, that was damn sure. And being stuck on Pandora longer than he'd anticipated wasn't a picnic either. Planet was a shithole.

Rhys had the hot water running and was herding the older man in before he quickly stripped himself of his clothes and joined him. Jack just let the pleasure of the water run over him, taking with it the days of caked-on blood and dirt on his skin. Rhys soaped up his hands and gave the omega a proper scrub down, getting out more dirt and grime than Jack had known about, and massaging sore muscles while he was at it. The alpha had his face in Jack's neck behind him, trying to scent even under the water's spray, his body flush against the older man's, keeping close.

He could still smell them. Still smell unfamiliar alphas-- definitely more than one-- and it was riling him up. He didn't like it. He didn't realize he was lightly biting the older man until Jack gave a groan of pleasure.

"I'm not saying I need any special treatment but you can bet you're going to finish anything you start."

Rhys tugged on an earlobe with his teeth, sudsy arms around his torso. "I can still smell them on you."

Jack laughed without humor. "Join the club, princess. I'm gonna be smelling those bandits for a week straight."

Rhys growled at that, turned the omega to kiss him fully on the mouth, hold him close, still touching everywhere. He felt the older man's erection heavy against his hip and he ground his own against him while Jack smirked in pleasure, his own arms coming around Rhys' torso to rest hands on his ass.

"You missed me."

"Don't be an asshole. Of course I fucking did. You had me worried," Rhys growled, dragging a hand down his torso to take up both their cocks in his hand.

Jack latched onto him, sucking bruises onto the alpha's neck where his scent was heaviest. Calming. Familiar. It sent relief through him. He moaned lowly as Rhys leisurely stroked them. The alpha nosed at his neck, trying to guide Jack to bare it to him, and the older man released a moan and offered up his throat. Immediately Rhys' mouth was all over him, sucking his Adam's apple, nibbling his jaw. He left a red mark that would be a fine hickey right below Jack's ear. The omega growled as he pulled the alpha to him harder.

"Mark me up, sweetheart," he sighed on exhalation, arching into Rhys' hand stroking their cocks as his head was craned to the side. Rhys didn't need anymore encouragement, leaving red marks and sucking all about the older man's neck and shoulders. 

Yes, Jack had missed him. And regardless of how badass he acted, Rhys thought he seemed a bit freaked, definitely needy. He didn't often ask the alpha to leave marks all over him-- though he wasn't averred to it. The fact that he _wanted_ this obvious reminder of Rhys covering his skin-- _that_ spoke volumes to the other man.

Jack was so exhausted, so tired that he didn't last long at all and was coming into Rhys' palm with a shout. The alpha followed him shortly, let the water wash it all away, and nuzzled the omega. He met the older man's lips and took his time kissing him, keeping him close against him, hands ever wandering. Jack was leaning against him and mouthing at his skin, arms around the alpha, and Rhys just continued to pet him under the water. Jack was definitely exhausted.

"Wash your hair, get the scent out," Rhys told him, giving him a bottle of shampoo. "Then let's get in bed, okay?"

They finished up the shower quickly, and Jack was like a zombie being led to bed. He was far more exhausted than he'd let on, and grabbed for the alpha when he'd moved to get a glass of water for the other man. Rhys just kissed his hand, got the glass, and then settled in next to him. The younger man just wanted to crawl into that bed with him and never let him leave. He'd been a lot more worried about Jack than he'd let on. 

Once ensconced around Jack under the covers, the omega was lightly teasing him about being unable to sleep without the CEO, missing him so much he'd hunkered down here-- Jack could smell his scent heavy in the sheets and he loved it. But Rhys could tell the older man was shaken, for all he talked big. The way he was rubbing himself back against Rhys' body, breathing in heavy close to the skin he could reach, trying to cover himself in Rhys' familiar scent. He claimed he didn't need all Rhys' pampering, but his actions spoke quite differently. He was only ever this needy around heat times. Rhys was happy to give him whatever comfort he could.

Rhys had the man's back to his chest, a leg thrown over Jack's, and he was kissing about his neck, gently, gently mouthing and licking around that magic nerve that had Jack utterly relaxed and making pleased sounds against him.

"What're you doin' back there, kiddo?" Jack asked sleepily, a bit worried though his tone was playful. 

"Shut up and let me take care of you, okay? I'm not gonna.... _do_ anything." He kissed the skin of the bonding site at Jack's neck and the omega shuddered pleasantly. "Just relax, alright?"

"I am relaxed, sweetheart. Like you have no idea. I don't need all your worrying." Rhys licked a long stripe up the back of his neck and Jack shuddered with a moan. "I _am_ digging your brand of relaxation though."

Rhys was petting him, carding fingers through still-damp hair. He wasn't going to let Jack leave this bed until he smelled like Rhys again. 

"....I worried about you. God I worried."

"Pfft. Loser."

"It's not like you to leave me hanging like that. You know how freaked I've been?"

Oh yeah. He'd been messaging the alpha when the ambush had happened. Something about how he was gonna have him choking on his dick or something-- he didn't remember, that part he hadn't gotten to type. And his comm had gotten broken during the firefight. Rhys was petting him, scenting him, kissing his skin. It was very clear he'd worried. Jack loved it, but he wouldn't admit to it.

"Aww kitten, did I leave you hot and bothered up here? Sorry, I was a little tied up."

Rhys propped himself up to look at Jack's face over his shoulder. "They didn't capture you, did they?"

Jack huffed a laugh and pressed his back more snugly against Rhys' chest. The alpha took the hint and wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. "Poor choice of words. No bandit could capture Handsome Jack."

Rhys was relieved, and mouthing, licking at his skin again, arms tight around the CEO making the other man sigh more contentedly than he'd ever admit. Jack had a hand over one of Rhys', and the alpha entwined their fingers as he kissed below Jack's ear.

"Next time you'll take an army?"

Jack chuckled. "Next time I'll send a welcoming party down first. If it'll calm your silly worries."

Rhys smiled into his skin. "Yeah, it would."

"You know what would be the best?"

"Hm?" Rhys asked into his hair.

"Falling asleep on your knot."

Rhys groaned at the statement. "Really?"

"What? Can't go twice? Getting a little old there?"

"Stop being mean," Rhys told him, and began running hands over his body, down his torso, over his flaccid cock. Rhys frowned at that as he rubbed at him, but Jack just sighed. He put his forehead against the older man's neck, rubbing his skin affectionately, to kiss his shoulder. "Well nice or not, not tonight," Rhys told him, holding the other man tight and petting his flank. 

Jack snorted at that, wiggling against him to bodily turn around and look at the alpha. "Seriously?"

Rhys kissed his chin, petting him and carding a hand through his hair. Jack was exhausted, he could tell. And not just from the dark bags under his eyes or the general lack of energy. He didn't actually seem all that interested in fucking for all his bravado. But maybe that wasn't exactly what he wanted, or needed. The peace, the reassurance, the comfort- _that_ was what he needed. Rhys would keep him close just the same, kissing and cuddling, knotting or not. " _I'm_ tired, Jack," he offered lamely, kissing his neck again.

"Heh, you aged like ten years while I was gone," Jack poked fun. He wrapped arms around Rhys' middle and stuck his chin in the alpha's neck. 

"You're one to talk. Just lemme cuddle you old man." He hissed as Jack bit him rather hard, but then sucked the spot.

"I'm gonna get you for that."

Rhys laughed. "Later. Right now, sleep. Rest." He kissed Jack's temple and kept the omega tight against him, head tucked under his chin. "And after you've had a few hours, your ass is _mine,_ mister CEO. No mercy."

Jack chuckled and called Rhys an obsessive little creep, but the alpha just continued in his petting, nibbling, until Jack demanded he kiss him, long and hard.

Yeah, regardless of how much he pretended otherwise, Jack had missed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like it's kinda out of character but meh, I'm pretty happy. Freaked Jack gets a pass to be not at all like himself once in a while.
> 
> Hope this is what you wanted anon! I tried my best!! XD
> 
> Thanks for those sending the goods vibes. I'll get my biopsy results the 21st :/
> 
> Stalk me sweethearts http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com
> 
> Edit:: [FANART AAAAAAAH FANART](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/149674370050/qvoro-jack-being-a-good-boy-%E0%B9%91-%E1%B4%97-%E0%B9%91-blame-this) <3 you are a freakin peachity peach thank you sweets!!


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